RamCompare update October 2022

We have had a busy summer collecting data from our nine commercial farms involved with RamCompare this season and it has been fun getting to know how our new farms operate as we have worked alongside them collecting 8-week weight and 12-week weight /ultrasound scanning data from their lambs.

This season we are collecting data from over 5,600 lambs, from around 95 different sires and after a particularly dry summer we have abattoir data coming in droves now. Results from this seasons lambs will be published in May next year and we look forward to giving you an update on individual sire performance for the trait leaders at that time.

Our mating plans are confirmed with each farm for this seasons ram activity, some have already turned rams out and early artificial insemination programmes are taking place. We thank all those pedigree terminal sire ram breeders who continue to support this project by putting rams forward – this project could not happen without your support!

We will be opening ram nominations again in the new year and this is just a reminder to those of you thinking of moving any stock rams on – if they are fit and healthy and have done a good job for you – why not sell them to RamCompare next spring so that we can test them over commercial ewes for a season – the abattoir data back from your former stock sires and their commercial lambs could be very useful! Remember we use shearlings or older so some of these stock sires with progeny behind them are certainly of interest to us!

Interested to know more – join us at the Sheep Breeders Round Table 11-13^th November where we will be providing an update on the RamCompare Project on Saturday afternoon. Please follow the link to see the full programme, with enthusiasm to get back to seeing people in person, ticket sales are going well for this live conference so book your tickets soon to avoid disappointment! Sheep Breeders Round Table 2022 | AHDB

Posted by Bridget Lloyd on 06 Oct 2022

RamCompare, Sheep

About the author

Bridget Lloyd

Bridget Lloyd – RamCompare Project Coordinator

After finishing university, Bridget worked on two well-known sheep research projects operating out of Aberystwyth University; the Longwool project and the Welsh Sheep Strategy.

In the year 2000, Bridget took a leading role in Cymru Breeding Services, (later Innovis and now known as AB Europe). Bridget was centre manager specialising in ovine fertility, operating a stud for 100 rams and coordinating four vet teams. She has specialised in ovine fertility and has worked closely with pedigree sheep and their breeders throughout her career.

With an extensive background in the sheep industry she now runs RamCompare. Her main responsibility is to liaise with project farms and abattoirs to ensure the data submitted is accurate and delivered on time, as well as co-ordinating the communication plan and ram nominations....and hundreds of other things.